WildCru conservation project that was studying Cecil the lion gets £320,000 in donations
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Version 0 of 1. The conservation project which was studying Cecil the lion has received more than £320,000 in donations since his death at the hands of US hunter Walter Palmer. Cecil was shot with a crossbow and then a rifle for £35,000 in Zimbabwe earlier this month in a hunt led by the American. The much-loved animal was a local favourite and was found skinned near the Hwange National Park where he lived. Researchers at Oxford University had fitted Cecil with a GPS collar as part of its conservation study to understand the lives of lions in the wild, WildCru – the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. They had studied Zimbabwe’s most famous lion since 2008 and said his death was “deeply reprehensible”. A spokeswoman said it had been “overwhelmed” by the amount of money it has received since Cecil’s untimely death. “So far more than £230,000 has been raised, enough to fund the research for at least 18 months, and gifts are continuing to come in," she said. “We’re immensely grateful to all those who have already given and to all those who continue to support our research in this way.” A painter makes a portrait of Cecil to donate money to anti-poaching efforts in the car park of Walter Palmer's dental clinic In a statement on its website, Professor David Macdonald, director of WildCru, said the hundreds of messages of support and the “value people attach to lions and wildlife conservation inspires us”. He said many people have asked about the fate of Cecil’s cubs and that the late lion's brother is currently looking after them. “The natural law in lion society is that when a male dies and his weakened coalition is usurped, the new incoming males kill their predecessors’ cubs," he said. “This may not happen because Cecil’s brother is still holding the fort.” Professor Macdonald said Cecil was a “glorious male lion with a fascinating family history”. Meanwhile, Mr Palmer – who is still in hiding after a global backlash against the lion’s killing – has apologised to patients of his River Bluff Dental practice for the disruption caused to his work. In a letter sent to patients on Tuesday, he said he had made headlines “for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you,” the BBC reports. He said he had been a “life-long hunter” but did not like to discuss this with his patients as the issue could be a “divisive and emotionally charged” one. To donate to WildCru visit www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/wildcru. |